Menorah in Tabernacle – No Measurements

The Aish Rabbi Replies

Thank you for your excellent observation. You are right that the Torah does not provide the Menorah’s dimensions. It only states that a kikar (or talent, roughly 33 kg.) of gold was used to construct the Menorah and all its accessory vessels. Although the Mishnaic Sages provide extensive measurements for the Menorah and all its components (particularly, in the Beraisa diMeleches HaMishkan), it is notable that the Torah itself gives us no indication of its proportions.

One possible explanation is that the Torah itself was not particular about the Menorah’s exact size. The only requirement was the amount of gold to be used for it, but beyond that, the exact dimensions were not significant.

Perhaps, however, this contains a deeper message. Several authorities explain that the Menorah symbolizes the Oral Law – the parts of the Torah not written down in the Torah itself but taught orally by Moses to the nation. (See e.g., Rabbeinu Bachya Exodus 27:10; Pachad Yitzchak 6:4.) Such works as the Mishna and Talmud constitute the core of these oral traditions.

The Menorah thus represents the parts of the Torah which were not set down in writing – in permanent and unchanging form. It rather represents the Torah’s wisdom in a more living, dynamic state. The Oral Torah provides cases, principles, and rules of exegesis, and we apply these to further develop the Torah’s understanding, compare and contrast cases, and apply the Torah to new situations. Just as the Menorah in the Temple required man’s input – the Priests to come and kindle its flames – so too the Oral Law reaches its fulfillment only through the contributions of man. It is the part of the Torah God entrusted to Israel, granting us our own personal share in developing and disseminating His wisdom.

Perhaps for this reason the details of the Menorah’s construction were not spelled out in the Torah itself but were made a part of the Oral Law. Just as the Menorah symbolizes God’s entrusting His Torah to the Jewish people, so too the very details of its construction were entrusted to us orally rather than recorded in writing.